Spinner



June 25, 1957 A. MEULNART SPINNER Filed NOV. 15, 1954 i, a. I u

V Y hwenfor ANDRE MEULNART 5'' W,

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Arrorneqs United States Patent I SPINNER Andr Menlnart, St. Cloud, France Application November 15, 1954, Serial No. 468,914

Claims priority, application France October 6, 1954 1 Claim. '(Cl. 43-4436) The present invention'relates to the so-called spinners fishing tackles used in casting andprovided with a vane which-is adapted to rotate as the spinner is being drawn in water and also with a stabilizing sinker which is mounted on the stem adapted to be attached'to the line and to receive at one end thereof one or'more books.

It more particularly relates to the spinners the stern of which has one end in the shape of a loop and is made into a resilient V-shaped clamp one leg of which has a nose adapted to engage the walls 'of an aperture cut through the wall of the sinker. When it is desired to rename the hook, first the nose is to be pushed clear of the aperture and then the stem is longitudinally pulled in order to drive the hook-retaining end thereof out of the sinker. However, such an arrangement is not always satisfactory because, when the fish is being removed or else should the nose of the stem be ill-introduced into the aperture, in the course of the next casting the nose is pulled out of its housing and, therefore, the hook gets lost, for instance under the pulling effort exerted by the fish.

In order to remove the above mentioned drawback various devices have already been proposed which consist, for instance, of an additional locking ring threaded over the loop of the hook-retaining stem. Tackles provided with such safety devices, however, have a greater number of parts and require a supplemental operation each time the user has to change the hook.

The object of the invention is to provide a spinner with a device for removably retaining the hook, which is particularly simple and eflicient and which has not the above mentioned drawbacks of the known devices.

According to the main feature of the invention, the bent end of the stem which receives the hook has a free end portion of circular shape to provide a nose adapted to snap outwardly through the axial bore of the sinker into a longitudinal slot thereof and in which the width of said slot gradually decreases toward the end of the sinker adjacent the hook.

It is readily understood that such an arrangement is particularly simple and requires no additional part, the locking action being achieved merely by the particular shapes of the end of the stem and the sinker. Forming the nose at the end of the stem brings about no difiiculty. Also, the tapering slot may be obtained in a very simple manner which consists in partially splitting (for instance by means of a milling cutter) the body of the sinker so as to provide for a parallel slot and then in slightly crushing the end of the sinker so as to bring the two lips of the slot close to each other at the open end of the slot.

It is readily seen that such a locking device is very eflicient. Actually, should a pulling eifort, even a strong one, be exerted upon the hook, the stem is unable to slide within the sinker since the nose of the stem end is efliciently jammed between the two tapering lips of the slot cut in the sinker. However, a pressure exerted upon the nose of the stem through the slot by means of a tool 2 point readily releases the stem and makes it possible for the hook to be removed.

Preferably, said nose formed at the bent end of the stem which receives the hook is in the shape of a substantially circular eye which is in tangential relation with a portion of said end of the stem and which extends outwardly.

Once a book has beenthreaded into place on the bent end of the stem, in order more easily to introduce the nose of the stem into the axial bore of the sinker, the end of the axial bore of the sinker adjacent the hook, according to another feature of the invention, is flared outwardly.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description of two specific embodiments of the invention, shown by way of examples in the accompanying-drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a first embodiment of an improved spinner according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken along the line H-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is, on a larger scale, a longitudinal section taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2, of the sinker alone with the nose of the stem in locked condition.

Fig. 4 is a View similar to that of Fig. 3, butwith the nose of-the stem shown inreleased condition.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the sinker alone of a modification of the first embodiment, and

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 5.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, a fishing tackle will be seen which is a so-called spinner or spoon 12 as is commonly used in casting. The elements of said spinner in connection with the present invention are the sinker 1 and the stem 2 which carries the hook 3.

The main characteristic feature of the sinker 1 is the provision of a slot 4 (see also Fig. 3) purposely shaped. Said slot extends along a predetermined length of the sinker from the end thereof adjacent the hook, it is out throughout the lateral wall of the sinker and opens into the axial bore 5 of said sinker. The bore along the slot 4 has a diameter larger than that of the hole 7 provided in the remaining portion of the sinker, with a view to accommodate the lower portion of the stem 2 with its nose 8. The diameter of the hole 7 is just large enough for securing proper guidance of the sinker along the stem. Preferably, as illustrated in the example, the nose 8 is in the shape of an eye which is substantially circular in shape and located in tangential relation with respect to a portion of the stem. Moreover, this eye is extending outwardly. Such particular shape ensures a positive clamping action of the nose within the slot 4 and prevents any releasing thereof under the effect of a pulling effort. Furthermore, it is to be noted that said device has no point protruding out of the sinker.

As is readily seen in Fig. l, the two lips of the slot 4 converge towards each other as they approach the lower end of the sinker, where they substantially engage each other.

Finally, the outer end of the bore 5 is widely flared or countersunk as at 9, so as to form a beveled portion which facilitates the introduction of the nose 8 of the stem, into the sinker.

When the device is open, as shown in Fig. 4, a hook may be put into place or removed at will onto or out of the bent end of the stem 2. When it is desired to lock the device, the nose 8 of the stem is driven into the bore 5 of the sinker until, under the action of the resiliency of the metal of the stem, said nose enters the wider end of the slot 4 (Fig. 3), whereupon it is positively locked therein. It is readily understood that, under these conditions, should a pulling efiort be exerted upon the hook, the nose 8 which is jammed between the tapering lips of the slot is unable to slip out of the sinker.

- When it is desired to release the device, it is merely s uficie'nt to introduce a small pointed tool into the slot 4 in order to exert a pressure upon the nose 8 and drive it out of the slot inwardly of the sinker while a traction is being exerted upon the hook.

The manufacture of such a device is quite simple. In order to obtain the tapering slot, a usual slot with parallel edges or lips, for instance, may be' cut by means of a circular saw or milling cutter or otherwise, and then the two free ends of the slot may be brought into engagement by crushing the corresponding end of the sinker.

If it is so desired, a slot 11 may also be cut throughout the width of the sinker, as illustrated in the modification shown in Figs. and 6.

'said stem being doubled back upon itself to define an upwardly directed arm for reception of a hook, the free end portion of said arm being directed outwardly and circularly to define a round locking eye disposed in tangential relation to an intermediate portion of said arm, and a sinker having an axial bore through which said stem extends for free sliding and rotative movement, said bore being of a diameter, at its lower end, to receive said locking eye, the thickness of the wall of said sinker being at least equal to the radius of said locking eye, said sinker having a longitudinally directed slot in its wall opening at its lower end and extending towards its upper end, intersecting its bore, the edges whereof at its lower end converge downwardly from a width exceeding the thickness of said locking eye to a width less than the thickness of the locking eye, to engage the eye at its lowermost point, outwardly of said intermediate portion of the arm, and to wedge the same when entered therein, under the influence of a pull from the hook-engaging lower portion of the stem.

1 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

